Bucs re-sign Bobby Rainey

Posted by Josh Alper on March 5, 2014, 5:14 PM EDT

AP

The Buccaneers weren’t at any risk of losing running back Bobby Rainey because he was set to be an exclusive rights free agent. So they’ve worked out a contract now, even though he could have (in theory) waited for a while before committing.

Rainey joined the Buccaneers in midseason after being released by the Browns and took on a prominent role in the offense when Doug Martin was lost for the season with a shoulder injury. He had a couple of big games — 163 rushing yards and three scores in Week 11, 127 yards and an 80-yard scoring run in Week 14 — and finished the year with 566 yards on 150 carries.

If Martin’s healthy, Rainey will likely be battling Mike James for snaps as the No. 2 back in Tampa.

UPDATE 9:22 p.m. ET: The Buccaneers initially announced the contract as a two-year deal. They have issued a clarification. Rainey is signed through 2014. Next year, he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency.

Rainey had one monster game, but Mike James actually looked better for the games he was playing before he got hurt (being a Bucs RB was like being the drummer for Spinal Tap). Curious to see how it turns out in camp, to put it mildly.